Police were called to the scene of the one-car accident at 474 Sandwich Road, near Tamarack Road, at 11:18 p.m., Doyle said.

Costa was unconscious in his vehicle when police arrived. After police and members of the Falmouth Fire Department administered CPR on Costa, he was taken to Falmouth Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to a statement from Falmouth police Lt. Brian Reid.

The crash "appears to be a tragic accident, and there is no indication at this time that speed or alcohol were contributing factors," Reid wrote.

On Thursday morning, there was no evidence of the crash at the scene.

A longtime employee of Falmouth Public Schools, Costa worked as a custodian in the district for 27 years, the last "seven or eight" at Morse Pond School on the 3 to 11 p.m. shift, Superintendent Marc Dupuis said.

At the fifth- and sixth-grade school on Thursday morning, staff members were still in shock over Costa's death, Principal Andrea Schwamb said in an email to the Times.

"Raleigh's real strength was his kind heart and his desire to help others. ... Much of what he did is known only by those that were touched by his kindness," she said.

The custodian often came into work early to see if anyone needed his help, she said.

In her email, Schwamb relayed a story from a Morse Pond staff member who said Costa was always willing to help with a student-run television show.

"On more than one occasion we needed a custodian to be an extra in our video project, and Raleigh was always willing to step in and participate," the staff member told Schwamb.

Costa's commitment to being helpful extended to the rest of his life, too, sister Lisa Koval of Falmouth said.

He had a love of electronics, she said, and would go out of his way to help friends and family with computer or car problems.

"He was just a giver," Koval said.

Costa and his fiancee, Victoria Duarte, had been together for 30 years. Although plans to marry this past summer fell through, their commitment "was amazing," his sister said.

Costa's family has deep roots in the Falmouth community.

His father, Raleigh Costa, was a lieutenant with the Falmouth Fire Department, where he worked for 40 years.

In 2008, the elder Costa was honored for his World War II military service when the Coonamessett River Bridge was renamed the Raleigh Costa Memorial Bridge.